Geranium plant -- BSR-233 Bright Coral cultivar

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct tetraploid Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar named BSR-233 Bright Coral is provided. This new Zonal Geranium cultivar was the result of a controlled breeding program wherein an unnamed plant designated 7-GRT-1A was pollinated by the Tango cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,933). The new cultivar forms attractive semi-double coral florets and forms dark green non-zoned leaves. Exceptionally good garden performance is exhibited including tolerance to wind and rain. The growth habit is inherently compact with basal self-branching and does not require the use of growth regulators to maintain such growth characteristic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct Geranium cultivar,botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter is referredto by the cultivar name BSR-233 Bright Coral.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program which hadas its objective the creation of a highly productive new Geraniumcultivar which exhibits attractive blossoms, dark green foliage, acompact self-branching growth habit, no requirement for the use of agrowth regulator, and a propensity for rapid rooting. This objective wassatisfactorily fulfilled in the cultivar of the present invention.

The breeding program which resulted in the production of the newcultivar of the present invention was carried out in a controlledenvironment during 1989 at Santa Maria, Calif., U.S.A. The female parent(i.e., the seed parent) was an unnamed plant designated 7-GRT-1A. Suchfemale parent formed semi-double florets, and medium green foliagewithout zoning. The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) was the Tangocultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,933). Such male parent formedsemi-double red florets, and formed dark green foliage. The parentage ofthe new cultivar can be summarized as follows:

    7-GRT-1A×TANGO.

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and plantletswere obtained which were physically and biologically different from eachother. Selective study which was finalized on Jan. 20, 1990, at SantaMaria, Calif. resulted in the identification of a single plant of thenew cultivar. This plant initially was designated BSR-233.

It was found that the new cultivar of the present invention:

(a) exhibits attractive coral semi-double florets,

(b) forms attractive dark green foliage having non-zoned leaves,

(c) exhibits good field performance including tolerance to wind andrain, and

(d) exhibits an inherently compact and basal self-branching growth habitin the absence of growth regulators.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by vegetative cuttingsinitially taken on Feb. 10, 1990, and horticulturally examined in acontrolled environment on Apr. 15, 1990, at Santa Maria, Calif., hasdemonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar as hereindescribed are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual propagation.

When plant material of the BSR-233 Bright Coral cultivar is subjected tostandard random amplified polymorphic DNA marker analysis (RAPD) usingpolymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a known unique set of DNA primers,it is found to exhibit a distinctive fingerprint map which is on file atthe Ball Flora Plant Division of George J. Ball, Inc. at Arroyo Grande,Calif.

BSR-233 Bright Coral has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light intensity, and day length.

When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to theAtlantis cultivar (U.S. Plant Patent pending), the BSR-233 Bright Coralcultivar exhibits a lighter blossom coloration, and forms corolla havinga smaller diameter as specified in greater detail hereafter.

The new cultivar of the present invention is being marketed under theShowcase trademark.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph shows as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in a color illustration of this character, atypical specimen of an overall plant of the new cultivar. The plant wasgrown in a greenhouse at Santa Maria, Calif.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.Color terminology in common terms sometimes precedes the reference toThe R.H.S. Colour Chart information. The color values were determined onJul. 3, 1991 at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon using a light intensity of 1600footcandles at Santa Maria, Calif. The plants described were grown understandard greenhouse conditions.

Classification:

Botanical.--Pelargonium×hortorum, cv. BSR-233 Bright Coral.

Commercial.--Zonal Geranium.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Umbel: Umbrella shaped (not round).

Average diameter.--Approxmately 11 to 13 cm.

Average depth.--Approximately 6 to 7 cm.

Peduncle length.--Approximately 17 to 21 cm.

Peduncle color.--At base Green Group 140B. The same coloration isexhibited by the Atlantis cultivar. The peduncle of the BSR-233 BrightCoral cultivar is of a distinctly lighter green coloration than that ofthe Atlantis cultivar which exhibits a dark reddish-green coloration.

Pedicel length.--Approximately 3 to 4 cm.

When grown in a 4 inch pot at 12 weeks after the sticking of a bare rootcutting, the BSR-233 Bright Coral cultivar commonly possessesapproximately 5.1 umbels per plant on average, and the Atlantis cultivarcommonly possesses approximately 4.2 umbels per plant on average. Whenfive month old plants are grown in the field, the BSR-233 Bright Coralcultivar commonly possesses approximately 35 to 40 umbels per plantwhile the Atlantis culivar commonly possesses approximately 20 to 25umbels per plant. Such field grown plants commonly possess approximately15 to 20 florets per umbel for the BSR-233 Bright Coral cultivar andapproximately 18 to 25 florets per umbel for the Atlantis cultivar.

B. Corolla:

Average diameter.--Approximately 4.3 to 4.5 cm. This can be compared toapproximately 4.7 to 5.0 cm. for the Atlantis cultivar.

Form.--Semi-double, commonly 5 petals plus approximately 3 to 4petaloids. The florets of the BSR-233 Bright Coral cultivar commonlypossess non-imbricate outer petals which measure approximately 2.7 cm.in length and approximately 1.9 cm. in width, and smaller innerpetaloids which commonly measure in length from approximately 0.2 to 2.4cm. In contrast the florets of the Atlantis cultivar commonly possessapproximately 3 to 4 bottom outer petals which measure approximately 2.3cm. in length and approximately 2 cm. in width, approximately 2 upperouter petals which commonly are approximately 2.6 cm. in length andapproximately 1.7 cm. in width, and approximately 3 smaller innerpetaloids which range in length from approximately 1 to 1.8 cm.

Color (general tonality from a distance of 3 meters).--Coral, Red Group50A.

Color (abaxial).--Coral, Red Group 50A. This compares to Red Group 46Cfor the Atlantis cultivar.

Color (adaxial).--Light coral, Red Group 48B with white at the petalmid-point. This compares to Red Group 50A for the Atlantis cultivar.

C. Bud:

Shape.--Upright, in a hemispheroidal cluster.

Color (abaxial).--Red, Red Group 45A.

Color (adaxial).--Predominantly white, White Group 155A, with red, RedGroup 45A at the edge of the petals.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--The anthers commonly are approximately 2 to 3 mm. inlength. The pollen is orange in coloration, Orange Group 28A; thefilaments commonly are irregular in shape and length; and some filamentsare petaloid.

Gynoecium.--The pistil length commonly is approximately 8 to 9 mm. onflorets which have been open for five days, there is a single stigmawhich commonly branches into 5 or 6 parts, and the style length isapproximately 4.0 to 4.5 mm. on florets which have been open for fivedays.

Fertility.--Commonly does not produce fruits in the absence ofmechanical fertilization.

E. Spring flowering response period: Approximately 6 to 7 weeks fromrooted cuttings under greenhouse conditions maintained at 55° F. atnight and 72° F. during the day when potted on March 1st in a soil mix(e.g., Sunshine No. 2 brand soil mix) in 10 cm. pots.

F. Outdoor flower production: Exceptionally good garden performance withcontinuous flowering.

G. Durability: Stable chlorophyll upon the shipment of cuttings.

PLANT

A. Foliage: Dark green with no zone.

Form.--Reniform, cordate base.

Margin.--Slightly crenate.

Color (abaxial).--Dark green, Green Group 131C. This compares to acoloration of Green Group 132A for the Atlantis cultivar.

Color (adaxial).--Green Group 132C. This compares to a coloration ofGreen Group 135B for the Atlantis cultivar.

Susceptibility to Botrytis blight.--Some tolerance.

B. General appearance and form:

Internode length.--Commonly varies from approximately 2 to 3 cm.

Branching pattern.--Freely basal branching. No pinching is required toobtain such self-branching.

Height.--Approximately 20 to 25 cm. above a 10 cm. pot when the blossomsfirst open.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named BSR-233Bright Coral, substantially as herein shown and described, which:(a)exhibits attractive coral semi-double florets, (b) forms attractive darkgreen foliage having non-zoned leaves, (c) exhibits good fieldperformance including tolerance to wind and rain, and (d) exhibits aninherently compact and basal self-branching growth habit in the absenceof growth regulators.